This retreat is a rare opportunity to live with local people and meet their friends in rural France, taste the regional products, admire the beautiful landscape, get off the beaten track, and experience the French culture from the inside...while adding more mindfulness in your daily lives.

Set in the beautiful medieval village of Saint-Jeannet in the south of France, only one step away from the French Riviera. All of the activities will be done with the awareness of the present moment, in complete contact with your bodies and your breathing. You can choose to arrive whenever you want and you will follow the program according to your day of arrival.

Alojamiento

Registro:

14:00

Salida:

11:30

Instalaciones

Comedor

Amigable con el medio ambiente

Salón / Sala de estar

Terraza

Wi-Fi gratis

Acceso a Internet

During this retreat, you will be staying at The FrogS'House Bed and Breakfast. The house is a former family hotel that has been reorganized to turn into a warm and comfortable bed and breakfast. Six rooms options with single and double occupancy are available including 3 with a balcony and sea view, and 3 with view on the local hills. A private suite for triple and quadruple occupancy is also available upon request, or for single/double if you want to enjoy more space.

If FrogS' House accommodation isn’t available any more, they would be happy to book an alternative option so you could still take part in the yoga sessions and join the daily excursions. Of course you will be welcome to use the common facilities at the FrogS’ House as much as any other guests (the sunny terrace, the big open kitchen and cosy lounge room). The options are:

Programa

These yoga retreats are offered every week from March to November.

You can start this course any day of the week and stay as many nights as you like! Check all the different duration possibilities and prices here: https://www.bookyogaretreats.com/fr/the-frogs-house.

Excursions on arrival and departure days are not included, however you are very welcome to join in if your timing allows it (arrival before 10am or departure after 5pm). Cost extra, please consult the organizer.

There is no "level" required here: the invitation during those yoga sessions is to mainly "listen" and "observe" the feeling of the moment, both physically and mentally. So either you have been practicing for a long time or not, it doesn't matter. Beginners or regular practitioners, everyone is welcome: make sure that you are willing to eventually experience a new approach, a new practice, and maybe explore your own being even more…hopefully a better understating of oneself, and of the world, will come out…

Benoit has been inspired and still is, by a French spiritual teacher named Jean Klein, who has transmitted his own experience of yoga to many disciples, with whom he continues to learn more and more deeply each time he manages to attend their workshops. This type of yoga is also known as Yoga du Cachemire. It is a very meditative yoga which allows you to get deeper and deeper into some subtle feelings, both physically but also energetically, to do so, you have to first manage to put that little voice of yours that constantly make comments, criticism, judgment... into observation and let yourselves become totally open to the here and now, to the proposition of the moment, to what is happening in your own body and your own mind, and let it be, by a simple, but profound, observation. To make it short, the yoga he likes to share is of the Being, not of the Doing.

Veronique, Carline and Jean, qualified teachers, will assist Benoit to lead the 2 daily sessions. Véronique and Carline, both with their own style, will share Hatha yoga sessions, more or less based on “internal listening”. Jean is a certified Ashtanga teacher, a more dynamic and physical yoga style. They all do their best to guide and listen to everyone’s need and at the same time maintain a harmony in the whole group.

This is the general activities program for a week (depends on your arrival day)

Monday:

07:00-08:30 Morning yoga session with Benoit (Kasmir yoga)

08:30-10:00 Homemade breakfast on the sunny terrace

10:00-17:00 Walking day - Spring and Autumn: walking day in the surrounding Hills called Baou, including a guided visit of the village, St Jeannet, before reaching the top of the hill for a shared homemade picnic lunch and a fantastic view over the all French Riviera and the Southern Alps. In Summer: An “aquatic” walk, taking you into a gorge/canyon, to walk along, and sometimes into, a river, La Cagnes. Waterfalls and fresh water ponds will be the highlights of the day to jump and swim, a perfect activity during those warm summer months.

19:00-20:30 Yoga session with Carline (Hatha)

20:30 Dinner at your own convenience or you can book a self service dinner prepared by Corinne

Tuesday:

07:00-08:30 Morning yoga session with Benoit (Kasmir yoga)

08:30-10:00 Homemade breakfast on the sunny terrace

10:00-15:00 Shared cooking session with Corinne or her friend Noel, professional chef, followed by a shared lunch in a friendly atmosphere

19:00 -20:30 Yoga session with Véronique (Hatha)

20:30 Dinner at your own convenience

Wednesday:

07:00-08:30 Morning yoga session with Benoit (Kasmir yoga)

08:30-10:00 Homemade breakfast on the sunny terrace

10:00-17:00 The perched villages: this day will take you on small roads off the beaten path, and a short walk will lead you to discover the old medieval village of Tourettes-sur-Loup, well known now for the culture of violettes flowers. You will then drive to meet Bruno, a local cheese maker who has settled with his goats in a well preserved and protected area, which offers a stunning view over the Cannes bay, to enjoy our homemade picnic lunch combined with cheese sampling. On the way back, you will make a stop at the worldwide famous “chapelle du Rosaire” in Vence, entirely built up and decorated by famous French artist Henri Matisse (entrance extra), before heading to, if time allows, the local vineyard of St Jeannet for a wine sampling.

19:00-20:30 Yoga session with Jean (Ashtanga)

20:30 Dinner at your own convenience

Thursday:

09:00-10:30 Ashtanga yoga session with Jean, followed by a brunch between 10:30 and 12:30, for a time of sharing around the practice of yoga, meditation, or according to the inspiration of time and needs of everyone ...

15:30-17:30 Wellness session: sound bath. Short 15-minute walk to get to Jean's yoga studio, to experience one of his relaxing "sound bath" ... you'll only have let your body be transported by the sounds of Tibetan bowls and crystal, the ancestral gongs, and other instruments as varied as original ... who knows the effects that these almost magical instruments will have on you ...

20:30 Dinner at your convenience

Friday:

07:00-08:30 Morning yoga session with Benoit (Kasmir yoga)

08:30-10:00 Homemade breakfast on the sunny terrace

10:00-17:00 The French Riviera: you will visit one of the most beautiful city of the Riviera, Antibes, a city known for its port of billionaires and its museum dedicated to Picasso. Lunch in a local restaurant (lunch at an extra cost between 10 to 20 EUR / person excluding drinks). Let yourself be tempted by a tasting of Absinthe in an unlikely place, or let yourself be guided in the picturesque streets of the commune Libre du Safranier. Free time during the day to stroll at your own pace, enjoy one of the best ice cream on the French Riviera, and take a swim if the weather permits.

19:00-20:30 Yoga session with Véronique (Hatha)

20:30 Dinner at your own convenience

Saturday:

Day off

08:30-10:00 Homemade breakfast on the sunny terrace

Free day to rest, stroll and meditate at your own pace or to book a wellness massage with professional masseuses Florence (Californian / oil) or Myriam (Shiatsu), or a sound massage with Tibetan bowls with Jean. For the most active of you, go explore the surroundings at your own pace: follow our guidebook to discover Nice, nicknamed Nissa la Bella or the medieval city of St Paul de Vence, the city of artists (at departure from St Jeannet, bus N°55, towards the coast, and bus N°47 for Vence then St Paul de Vence, or contact Jean Jacques our local taxi)

Sunday:

09:00-10:30 "Late" outside yoga session followed with a brunch between 10h30 and 12h, for a time of sharing around the practice of yoga, meditation, or according to the inspiration of the moment and the needs of each one, free massage demonstration by Florence or Myriam during brunch.

Rest of the day to relax and meditate at your own rhythm, or get a massage with our professional masseurs, Florence (Californian, oil) or Myriam (Shiatsu), or experience a “sound private massage” with Jean’s Tibetan bowls.

For the more active ones, join the treasure hunt organized by our friend Cyrielle to discover/explore Saint Jeannet in the most fun way. Or explore the area at your own pace. Bus N°55 available to go to the coast, or book our local taxi driver Jean Jacques.

Excursiones incluidas

This retreat includes all the excursions described in the itinerary above: they will depend on your arrival and departure day.

For instance, if you arrive on Sunday and leave on Thursday, there will be the Monday walk, the Tuesday cooking session and the Wednesday local Producers experience with the Matisse Chapel.

Excursions on arrival and departure days are not included, however, you are very welcome to join us if your timing allows it (arrival before 10am or departure after 5pm). Cost extra, please consult the organizer.

Instructores

Benoit Couvreur

Yoga Alliance International
(Yoga)

Benoit has been practicing yoga and meditation on a regular basis since 2010, soon after he met his actual spiritual teacher, Somasekha Ros. He has graduated from Yoga Nisarga International Training School, based in India, where he traveled to attend the training to become a fully qualified yoga teacher. Yoga Nisarga is certified by Yoga Alliance, the largest nonprofit association representing the yoga community whose mission is to promote and support the integrity and diversity of the teaching of yoga.

Jean ROCCA

Jean is specialised in Ashtanga Yoga. He has also followed a long training to give Tibetan Bowls massages. He started his Yoga practice in India in the city of Calcutta 15 years ago. His philosophy is based on the idea that through the practice of Yoga, we can live our lives in a better way, reduce our suffering, those of those around us and discover Universal Unity. His work focuses on the breath and how to integrate it into a physically active yoga practice in order to create strength, freedom and lightness of beings. Jean and Benoit have been old scholl friends for 30 years.

Véronique Pince

Veronique has been teaching yoga for over 20 years and she’s offering you to discover yourself with yoga sessions or life movement dancing (DMLV). In yoga, the dynamic and static postures allow you through breathing to reach a balance between body and soul. Guided meditations will provide gentleness at the beginning and the end of the session. The DMLV that Veronique teaches for the last 2 years is a kind of meditation in movement. The body, moving naturally and freely will invite you to an inner journey, an intimacy that will liberate you from any tension.

Carline Gauthier

Carline is now 50 years old and she started practising yoga after an accident at the age of 20. She tried different yoga styles over the years and she is now teaching for the last 2 years after a 4 years training with the Institut Français du Yoga. Her teaching is a synthesis between her life as a yogi and a woman, where the important is to always respect the body and synchronise breath with physical capacity. Her yoga practise is a source of inspiration always renewed but still rooted in tradition. Yoga gives freedom to people and can be done everywhere freely.

Sarah DePietro

Sarah began practicing yoga in 2008 and is specialized in Traditional Hatha Yoga. She believes that through yoga and meditation we can quiet the mind, gain inner freedom, tranquility, and joy, and can ultimately access our full potential power in life. By slowing down and focusing on our breath, we can become stable and clear so that we can show up in life as the best versions of ourselves.

Destino del retiro

This retreat will take place in the middle of the quiet village of Saint-Jeannet, France. Saint-Jeannet is a charming and typical French medieval village, perched at the foot of the Mediterranean hills called Baou.

Only 15 kilometers away from Nice côte d’Azur and the French Riviera, but so much more quiet and relaxing, its position at 450 meters of altitude offers a great view on the coast and a moderate temperature in the middle of the summer.

Nearby places

French Riviera - 15 kilometers

Mediterranean hills - 5 minutes

Nice - 30 minutes

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) - 15 kilometers

Características únicas

Actividades

Clases de cocina

Excursionismo

Natación

Cata de vinos

Generales

Comedor

Jardín

Cocina

Solicitud de menú especial

Servicios

Wi-Fi gratis

Alimentos

During this retreat, you will be served daily organic breakfasts and home made picnic lunches during Monday, Wednesday and Friday excursions. Also the Sunday brunch. All the food provided is as local and organic as possible. Please let the organizer know if any specific dietary requirement. Lunches during visit of Antibes and Nice are extra, in organic and/or local restaurants (10 to 20 EUR/person).

Dinners will be at your own leisure, with a choice of 4 restaurants walking distance in St. Jeannet, or take away food from the local shops to organize your own dinner at The FrogS House using the big open kitchen, entirely at your disposition.

Los siguientes alimentos están incluidos:

Tipos de alimentación disponibles:

Actividades opcionales

Use your free time to explore the amazing village of Saint Jeannet, wandering around the small medieval streets

Meditate on your balcony watching the sea, or take a walk into the nearby Mediterranean hills…and for the most adventurous, go explore the must seen places of the French Riviera or relax on the local beaches, using your own car or the public transportation services (buses and trains).

Outdoor activities

Canyoning

Hiking in the Mercantour national park

Rafting

Rock climbing

Vineyards and wine sampling

Visits and wine sampling in the vineyards of the Côte d'Azur or the Var area

Tratamientos de spa

There's a possibility to book a massage with our local professional masseurs, Florence, a physiotherapist specialized in Californian massages, or with Myriam, specialized in Shiatsu massages. Or a Tibetan sound massage with Jean, teacher and masseur certified

El paquete incluye

According to your arrival and departure day

5 nights accommodation with daily organic breakfasts

2 yoga sessions per day (exception : no yoga on Saturday and only one session on Sunday)

4 days of activities with transportation, guided tours, and visits with a professional and certified guide

Drive to St. Paul de Vence and visit of the Chapelle du Rosaire from Henri Matisse

Picnic at Domaine des Courmettes with fresh goat cheese sampling

Hiking trip in the mediterranean hills around Saint Jeannet

Scenic drive to the perched village of Tourettes

Wine sampling at Saint Jeannet's local vineyard

Guided tour of different medieval villages

Lunches on picnic days

Cuisine cooking class

Guided visit to Nice

Visit of the old town Antibes

No incluye

Airfare

Airport/train station transfers (available at extra cost)

Additional activities other than specified (excursions on arrival and departure days. But if you have time you can join for extra cost)

Lunches when eating out in local restaurants

Entrance to museums

Personal expenses

Dinners

¿Cómo llegar?

Recommended Airports

NCE

Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport

11 km

Traslado disponible por un costo adicional US$63 por persona

Arrival by airplane

Please book your flight to arrive at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE). Transfer from and to the airport is available upon request (55 EUR /transfer to be shared by number of passengers, +10 EUR extra evenings and WE/public holidays).

Arrival by train

The closest train station is Saint Laurent du Var, only eight minutes away from Nice central station and only 20 minutes away from Saint-Jeannet by car. Transfer from and to the train station is available upon request (65 EUR/transfer from Nice Ville or 55 EUR/transfer from St Laurent du Var, to be shared by number of passengers, +10 EUR extra evenings and WE/public holidays)

There is also the possibility to catch bus N°55 just outside saint Laurent du Var train station.

Arrival by bus

Two buses drive from and to Saint-Jeannet. The first is bus number 55 from and to Saint Laurent du Var, a train station for direct connection with Nice or any other city along the coast by train. Bus N°55 also starts from Commercial center CAP3000 near the station for direct connection with Nice or any other city along the coast by bus. The second is bus Number 47 from and to Vence and St Paul de Vence.

The second is bus Number 47 from and to Vence and St Paul de Vence.

Arrival by car

The organizer will send you the link to our website that contains a map and some photos about how to find the Frogs’ House and where to park when arriving in the village.